Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-02-10
GAY HEAD INDIANS.
An Industrial, Frugal and Moral Band Of
American AborigineS.

GAY HEAD INDIANS.
An Industrial. Frugal and Moral Band Of
American Aborigines.
| Since the terrible disaster which be-
fell the steamship City of Columbus. OF
the Boston and Savannah Steamship
Company, about every one has become
quite familiar with the name ''Gay
Head Indian" Their noble and heroic
services at that hour of peril will never
be forgotten.
Gay Head is an incorporated town,
situated on the westerly end of the
County of Dukes. which embraces the
whole of the island of Martha's Vine
yard. This Indian village has an area
Of 2. 400 acres. which is divided into three
peninsulas. Nashaquitsa, Squipnockat
and Gay Head. The town is nearly
severed from the rest of the island by
Menemsha pond. AT the present time
there are nearly two hundred Indians nj
Gay Head. and unlike many other rem
nants of Indian tribes in tie common.
wealth, they have for few years past
been gradually increasing in numbers.
There are about fifty families, and the
people have for series of years been
seeking more profitable sources of in
come than their isolated situations nat
urally afforded, and some of them have
achieved distinction as efficient marin
ers or masters Of vessels.
The morals, education and marked
indications Of civilized advancement
among them are so striking that they
attract the attention of those who
chance to visit their sequestered island
home. If there is spot in all New
England where a recluse might wish to
find perfect repOse, free from all the
troubles and anxieties of life. Gay Head
is the place; and yet the Gay Headers
are quite jealous of the influences and
approaches of foreigners, they having
had considerable trouble with those
who have married their daughters and
settled among them.
There Is quite diversity of soil in
Gay Head, with some very good land
and some very bad. Many cattle are
driven here from other parts of the
island for pasturage during the sum-
mer. One may stand on the southeriy
shore of Gay Head and see the little
| island of '.No Mans Land three miles
away to the south, which is also used
as pasturage.
There is unique kind of clay found
here, which is used for making alum
and for other purposes as well. These
clay banks are several hundred feet
high, and the depth and extent Of this
vein is not as yet known. There are
various colors in this immense bank
black, red, blue, white, etc.-aEd the
effect from the water, especially when
the sun is out. is gorgeous. No visitor
to Gay Head ever thinks of returning
without taking his knife and cutting
out block of this precious soil. The
natives obtain quite sum yearly by
making this clay into pipes, Hover
pots, decanters. pitchers and ether de-
signs, principally for ornament, which
they sell to hundreds of people that
visit the island. Formerly. when YES
sci came for this clay. men, women and
| children would turn out en- nlasse and
swarm around and assist in loading. for
which they would receive pay. Even
at this day the work of cutting ont the
clay, the size of an ordinary paving
stone, gives employment to a number
OF men and boys.
The cranberrics of Gay Head were
formerly public property. and were no:
allowed to be touched until a given
day. when the picking commenced, at
which time every inhabitant would
work with all his might and gather al
within his reach. The value of TIE
cranberry crop varies from $50 to si0l,
and the inhabitants receive about $500
annually for pasturage. The revenu..
from sales of clay is comparatively
nothing. taking into consideration time
occupied in digging it and molding it
into the several designs. In the adj
joining town of Chilmark there is somc
of this clay. which can be placed os
vessels at prices much lower than a.
Gay Head. and consequently no littli'
revenue is taken away from the inhat~
itants of Gay Head on this account.
Away back in the past, any member
of this tribe could take up, fence in and
improve as much of the land as he
pleased. and when inclosed, it became
his own. 1t might very naturally be
inferred by this that such a state o,
things would engender many disputes
and quarrels, but such was not the
case. 1t was kind of government
within government, not conducted by
any code of laws except the bone and
muscle of those taking up the land
The Gay Head Indians are mixture OF
the red, black and white races, and
there is, too, some Southern blood
among them, as well as Portuguese
and Dutch, if such names as these are
any criterion: John Randolph, Madi.
son, Corsa, Sylvia and Vernderhoop.
Through the intermarrying and the